Glass cutting apparatus



United States Patent Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a corporation ofPennsylvania [54] GLASS CUTTING APPARATUS 2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,058,687 2/1967 Great Britain Primary Examiner-AndrewR. .luhasz Assistant Examiner-James F. Coan Attorney-Chisholm andSpencer ABSTRACT: A device for scoring glass having a support table [52]US. Cl 83/12, with a conveyor be disposed upon the surface f he Support33/127,83/565, l44/144 table. A supporting frame is mounted over theconveyor belt, [51] Int. Cl 326d 3/08 a rotatable eccentric arm assemblyis mounted beneath the [50] Fleld of Search 83/6, 8, 12, Supportingframe and over the conveyor belt An aipdriven 9, 1]; 144/l44, 144-1;33/2704) 23(H) scoring tool is mounted on a sliding block which ismovable upon the eccentric arm assembly, a guide tract or cutting die is[56] References cued mounted over the conveyor belt, the scoring tool isguided in UNITED STATES PATENTS the pattern desired by both guide wheelsand a drive wheel 2,763,928 9/1956 Smith 33/27 which runs along thecutting die providing both guidance and 3,227,016 1/1966 Moeller 83/1 1motive power to the scoring tool.

26 wig g 39 lb l m /1 k lfgi 00 j a o Patented "Nov. 3, 1970 SheetINVENTOR ANTONIO LUPPINO Q MQHXM ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3', 1970 SheetINVENT OR "ANTON a LUfP/A/Q.

Patented 3,1970 I 3,537,345

Sheet 3 015 A ORNEYJ lNVENTOR ANTONIO LUPPINO sheet 4 V of 5 INVENTORATTORNEYS ANro/v/o Lw P/A/o v Jmmrm llmmuL Patentecli Nov. 3, 1970" I V3,537,345

Sheet 5 0:5

v I I Q INVENTOR ANTON/0 LUPP/NO' ATTORNEYS GLASS cu'r'rmc APPARATUSSPECIFICATION The scoring of glass panels for automobile side lights hasbeen performed by the mechanical scribing of the outline of the desiredpattern onto the surface of the glass and, subsequently, snapping theglass along the scored lines. These patterns have been of a rectangularshape and of a relatively Simple design. However, with the advent ofchanges in automobile styling, it has become necessary to produce morecomplicated patterns, including those having very tight comer designsandby this is meant corners wherein the radius of the curve is from acenter which is at a point outside the glass. Present scribing equipmentdoes not function efficiently to produce such tight corner designs. Whenthe scribing tool comes within the radius of such corners, it frequentlygouges the surface of the glass at such a depth that the scoring deviceis broken and/or the glass is displaced from its position device and theresulting pattern is inaccurate and the side light is useless. Thepresent invention is a cutting device which will produce glass patternshaving a radius with a center which is outside the glass sheet itself.The apparatus provides means for both guiding the cutting and/or scoringtools along a desired pattern and also for providing motive power at thescoring head in contact with the glass which eliminates the problem ofgouging when the scoring tool forms very tight curves as hereinabovedefined.

The apparatus has a support table which provides a platform and a basefor the remainder of the equipment. A conveyor belt travels over the topsurface of the support table and is used to run the glass in from asupply point to a point beneath the scoring device wherein automaticequipment positions the glass automatically beneath the scoring tool. Asupporting frame is mounted over the support table and over the conveyorbelt. An eccentric arm assembly is pivotably mounted beneath the surfaceof the support frame, a motordriven and drive shaft assembly mountedabove the support frame and connected to the eccentric arm assembly by ashaft provides motive power for turning the eccentric arm assembly inall points in a plane. An air-driven scoring head is mounted on a slideblock on the eccentric arm assembly. The tool is movable in all pointsin a plane within the radius of the eccentric arm assembly. The cuttingguide or die is mounted over the support table and spaced awaytherefrom. A cam follower and a drive wheel mounted on the scoring headare in contact with the guide and the guide served to both position andalso as a track for positive traction for the scoring tool. A turbinedriven by air under pressure is used to power a set of sprockets whichin turn are connected by a chain drive to the driving wheel which is infriction engagement with the track of the cutting die. The eccentric armassembly consists of a pair of brackets connected by a pair of case rodsfor providing a both longitudinal and transverse path of travel relativeto the support table for the sliding block and also the air-drivenscoring tool. The scoring tool is thus free to move anywhere in a planeover a 360 angle as well as to pass over any point in the same planewhich is formed by the glass sheet positioned within and on thesupporting table of the cutting apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the air-driven scoring apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the air-driven scoring apparatus with certaincovers removed;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the air-driven scoring head assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another view of the air-driven scoring head assembly of FIG.3;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the scoring assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross section of the air-driven scoring assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of another air-driven scoring head assembly;

FIG. 8 is a cross section of the assembly of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the connection between the motor driveassembly and the eccentric arm assembly.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cutting apparatus. A support table11 is shown having a conveyor belt 34 moving over the surface thereof, aglass-stopping mechanism 83 is shown positioned over the conveyor belt34. A support frame 22 is mounted on pillar posts 20 over the conveyorbelt 34. The support frame is used as a base for a motor drive assembly16 having a motor 25, a speed-reducing gear 26 attached to the motorshaft 13, a drive shaft assembly 14 connected between the reducing gearand piercing the base plate 21 of the support frame. An eccentric armassembly 27 is pivotably mounted beneath the support frame base and isrotatable in a 360 plane. An air-driven scoring head 40 is mounted on aslide block which is movable longitudinally and axially along theeccentric arm assembly. An air-driven scoring head 31 extends downwardlyand can be contacted to glass G positioned beneath the head. A cuttingpattern or die 33 is positioned on pillar post 20 over conveyor 34 andthe scoring head assembly 40 is contacted to the cutting die by means ofa cam follower 84. A description of the components of the cuttingapparatus follows:

SUPPORT TABLE The support table 11 has a pair of legs at either end tosupport a stable base. A conveyor belt 34 is positioned atop the supporttable and runs in an endless manner to transport glass from a suitablesupply point beneath the scoring device. A set of stops 83 which may beeither air or mechanically actuated are lowered and the glass abuts thestop 83 and is then positioned beneath the scoring device. A suitablecut-off mechanism is actuated by the contact between the glass and thestop device. A support frame structure 22 is mounted atop the supporttable. A base plate 21 is supported by pillar posts 20. The supportingframe needs to be strong enough to hold the associated drive equipmentand eccentric arm assembly as well as the air-driven scoring tool. Acutting pattern or die 33 is positioned above the belt 34 by pillarposts assembly 35 which extends over the conveyor and provides aclearance for the glass sheet to move beneath the cutting die and thescoring tool. The arrangement of the cutting die in relationship to thesupport table is shown clearly in FIG. 1.

SUPPORTING FRAME The support frame has a base plate 21 which issupported in spaced relation above the cutting die and conveyor belt bypillars 20. A single sheet of steel or iron makes a suitable supportbase. The pillars also provide a mounting for the cutting die pillarposts assembly 35.

MOTORDRIVE AND DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY 7 Power for turning the eccentricarm assembly 27 is provided by a motor drive assembly 16 and shaftarrangement 14. A motor 25 is mounted on the base plate by any suitablemounting. A speed-reducing gear 26 is positioned on a shaft 28 andconnected to the motor 25. The shaft and speed reducer are mounted on ahousing 15 which is bolted or welded to the base plate 21.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the support table, supporting frame, themotor power, the drive shaft, and the eccentric arm assembly in the sideview. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the airoperated scoring head showingthe details of the engagement" between the scoring head and the cuttingdie.

ECCENTRIC ARM ASSEMBLY the eccentric arm assembly. A supporting bar 12is connected to the drive shaft block. A pair of end brackets 29 form asupport for a pair of parallel, horizontally disposed case rods 30 whichare connected at either end to the brackets. A slide block 32, FIG. 1and FIG. 2, having a pair of sleeves through which are inserted theparallel case rods is mounted horizontally on the case rods 30. Theblock is movable along the axis of the rods. The eccentric arm assembly27 is mounted so as to pivot about the long axis of the shaft 28 and isoffset from the center of the base plate 21. The offset pivoting and theability of the sliding block to move along the axis of the rods permitsthe slide block to be in a position above the conveyor belt at any pointin a plane which is the glass disposed beneath the air scoring tool.

THE AIR-DRIVEN SCORING HEAD AND TOOL An sir-driven scoring head assembly40 is attached to the slide block. Typical assemblies are described inFIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. A central shaft having a conduit for supplyingair is positioned in the same axis as the drive shaft. FIG. 4 shows atypical scoring head. A size control roller 57 and a cap screw and conearrangement 71 and 72 provide an adjustable means for engaging thescoring device cam follower 82 with the guide track or the cutting die33. The air-driven scoring device may be of several designs, one ofwhich is illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, and a second is illustratedin FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 1 illustrates a device which is mounted at theside of a sliding block. FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate air-drivenscoring tools which are mounted directly in line with the drive shaft ofthe scoring device below the slide block. FIG. 4 shows a detailed sideview of an air-driven scoring head. A slide block 32 provides a mountingfor an air-driven turbine. The central shaft has a tool post holder 62positioned at the end thereof for holding a scoring device for actuallyscoring the glass.

FIG. 5 shows an end view of the slide block 32 of FIG. 4. The cuttinghead assembly shown in FIG. 5 has a slide block 32 and sleeves 85. Thesupporting case rods 30 pass through the sleeves 85. The swivel block 58on sleeve bearing 56 provides a means for the cutting head to turn onthe mounting as it goes around the track 33. The key 65 is a positioningdevice for easily changing the scoring tool in the cutter head assembly.The clevls 67 is also a positioning device for anchoring the variousparts of the cutter assembly in one immovable piece. The piston 78 andpiston rod 79 provide means for exerting pressure on the scoring deviceattached to the ends of the cutter assembly. The bearing 81 rides on thetrack 33 to guide the cutter assembly around the track. The sleeve 85has been described above.

FIG. 6 is a section view of FIG. 5 showing the air-operated scoringdevice. In FIG. 6 a cylinder 60 is mounted vertically within the slideblock. A piston rod 61 is within the cylinder and provides a mountingfor the tool post holder. In FIG. 8 the piston is designated as numeral78 and the piston rod is 79. In FIG. 6 a spring 69 is inserted betweenthe piston and the cylinder. This permits the movement of the scoringtool axially up and down relative to the glass G. The tool post holderis actuated by air and placed in contact with the glass. Several spacers63 are utilized to make minor adjustments in height. Case rods 70 areused to mount the base 64, which support the capscrew and conemechanism, which is used to contact the guide track.

FIG. 7 is an end view of another embodiment of an airoperated orair-driven scoring assembly. FIG. 8 is a cross section of the assemblyof FIG. 7. A shaft 76 provides a mounting for the cutter block 75.Sprockets 80 are connected by a chain drive and provide motive power fora drive wheel 49 which is in friction engagement with the top of thecutting track. FIG. 8 shows a cylinder and piston with a spring mounting69 which permits an up and down motion of the tool post holder 48. Airpassed through a central conduit 44 is used to operate the sprocket,which in turn drives the traction wheel and the traction wheel moves thetool post over the glass in a desired pattern. The scoring tool ismounted, as described, on an eccentric arm assembly and is raised andlowered by means of an air-actuated cylinder. The eccentric arm assemblyis powered by the motor which is connected to a s eed reducer, which inturn powers the central shaft piercing t e base plate. A cutting die ismounted above the glass on a series of supporting arms which permits theraising and lowering of the cutting die.

OPERATIONS In operation a piece of glass is placed on the conveyor beltand run in on the belt until the glass contacts the stops 83. By meansof an electrically contact-actuated switch the air-driven scoring headis lowered onto the glass and a scoring device is actuated. Power istransmitted to the central shaft, and either by means of a cam followeror a positive traction of the driving wheel, causing the scoring deviceto move around and over the glass in the direction indicated by thearrows in FIG. I. When the scoring pattern is completed the scoring toolis automatically inactuated by a contact switch and the scoring head israised from the glass. At the same time the conveyor belt moves theglass forward and from beneath the scoring head. In a subsequentoperation the scored pattern is broken out from the colored glass. Thisapparatus permits a wide range of patterns to be scored automatically,which have tight turns, without binding and without any great loss dueto defective scores. Other embodiments of the air-driven scoring deviceare contemplated. The eccentric arm assembly mounting in conjunctionwith the slide block and the guide path provide a rigid, accurate meansfor scoring a pattern in a piece of glass including where the patternrequires very tight turns.

lclsim:

I. An eccentric arm assembly for glass-scoring apparatus mounted on abase plate of a support assembly comprising:

a. a central shaft mounted vertically through the plate;

b. a supporting plate mounted horizontally on the lower end of saidshaft;

c. a pair of end brackets mounted on each end of the support plate; I

d. a pair of rods mounted between the end brackets and below the supportplate;

e. a slide block movably mounted on the rods; and

f. means for turning said shaft thereby turning the eccentric armassembly.

2. A device for scoring glass sheets in a preselected pattern having aglass support table, a patterned cutting die mounted on said supporttable, and a support frame disposed over said table comprising:

a. an eccentric arm mounted to said support frame, said eccentric armcomprising: a horizontal support plate rotatably mounted to the supportframe; an end bracket mounted at each end of the support plate; a pairof rods mounted between the end brackets; and a slide block movablymounted on the rods; b. means for turning said eccentric arm.

